Corporate Entertainment: Signs of a Great Booking Agent

Published July 22, 2013 | By ncmarsh

Corporate Entertainment: Signs of a Great Booking Agent

Nathan Coe Marsh

Last week we took a look at the advantages of working with a great talent agency when booking entertainment for corporate events and conferences.

On LinkedIn, the question arose: How can you tell which agency is a great one?

Here are three things that all of the great agents I’ve worked with share in common:

Quality of the questions they ask
With the internet arose a number of “agencies” that are essentially catalogues. Looking for a band? Here are the videos of the five bands we represent. Great agents, I’ve found, ask great questions because they want to understand the strategic goals of the event. They’re looking to find a fit, and they want to know everything they can about both the client and the act.

Experience
Booking talent is not an easy business to survive in. Those who have, have done so by creating great relationships both with the acts they represent and with the clients who have learned to rely on them for great events.

Commitment to the industry
Agencies with a strong, active presence in industry associations — MPI, ISES, NACE, ASAE, NACA, etc. — show that they are in it for the long haul and that they are nurturing a reputation within the industry.

In sum, great entertainment agents are great partners who are committed to the success of your event.

The Best is Yet to come!